Inner Destruction
by trail.of.phoenix.ashes
Summary: Hyuuga NejixOC. Izanami and Neji both hate each other with a passion. The reason? Something that happened long ago. As time goes by, the past is slowly revealed. Please R&R.
1. Prologue

Inner Destruction – Neji story Prologue

They said she was found lying in a pool of her own blood. The house was empty; she was alone.

There was no one there – nothing there but herself, lying in a pool of her own blood, a gleaming dagger to the side.

There had clearly not been a struggle. She had obviously wanted this.

But the question was why? She had had so much to live for – an attractive young girl, respected by the whole village, a loving family and comfortable home.

No one knew why she attempted to kill herself. After she had recovered fully in the hospital, she did not explain her actions. Not a word was uttered from her lips.

And her family…no one knew where they were. After she had been taken to Konoha's hospital, they had never turned up. Days and nights went by; they never came. It was as if they had disappeared.

So she lived alone. Always alone.

Fushigi Izanami was a mystery.

That no one could solve.


	2. Chapter One

Inner Destruction – Neji story 1

Izanami looked at her new team in distaste. Tenten, the only other girl, seemed all right, but the others…

There was Rock Lee, with his outrageously busy eyebrows, buggy eyes, and unbearable green spandex suit.

And then, there was…Neji. The Hyuuga prodigy. The cold, silent genius.

The person she hated most in the world.

He had hurt her in the past…hurt her so much…

She gently pressed her hand to her chest, above her heart. The scar still remained, a faint line of pain, a memory of what unchecked emotions could do.

Tenten twirled a kunai in her hand. She sighed. "Anyone know when our new sensei will show up?"

Izanami and Neji didn't respond. Lee gave Tenten a thumbs-up and winked.

"He'll show up soon, Tenten! Don't lose hope!"

"I never said I was losing hope," Tenten muttered. Nevertheless, she grew silent.

Neji glanced at Izanami. She stared stonily ahead, never blinking.

Tenten noticed the tension between the two, but wisely decided to say nothing.

"Good morning, my new beautiful team of youths!"

Tenten let out a small gasp as a tall man appeared, looking freakishly similar to Lee.

"Hello, team! My name is Maito Gai, and I am your new teacher!" he called out loudly.

"We'll start out with introductions!" he continued. "You, my wonderfully stylish young student!" He pointed at Lee. "You can go first!"

The boy beamed before he went. "My name is Rock Lee!" he started enthusiastically. "One day, I hope to prove that hard work is better than natural genius!"

"Beautiful!" Gai said with tears in his eyes. "Simply awe-inspiring!" He nodded to Tenten. "Now you; it's your turn!"

Tenten shoved the kunai in her weapon pouch and sighed. "I'm Tenten, that's pretty much all I have to say…"

"Wonderful! You!" Gai shouted at Neji.

The rookie of the year stared coldly at his bubbly (me: whoa, that sounded wrong…) sensei. "Hyuuga Neji." Were his only words.

"And now, last but not least, the girl in the shadows!"

Izanami finally spoke, her voice low, smooth, and slightly bittersweet. "Fushigi Izanami. Pleasure to meet you."

"So polite!" Gai exclaimed. "Now, for our first step, we will all run laps around Konoha! How about...fifty for starters!"

The team grudgingly started jogging (except for Lee – he started full-speed while smiling brightly).

"Faster! Faster! Come on, let's get those youthful hearts pumping!" Gai shouted.

After the forty-seventh lap, Izanami felt like her lungs were on fire. Her breath came in short, ragged breaths.

She had always had trouble running, ever since that night...After all, the blade had almost gone straight through…it was no wonder…

"Enough!" Gai called. Three of his students gratefully stopped sprinting while one insisted on doing another lap.

"That was an excellent warm-up, am I right?"

No one felt the need to answer.

"All right, then!" Gai waited for Lee to stop running before he continued. "Since it's our first day, let's start with some fun! How about a little sparring?"

"Great idea, Gai-sensei!" Lee said encouragingly.

"First off, Tenten and Lee! Then, Izanami and Neji!"

Neji and Izanami glanced at each other. The hate between them was mutual.

Not the best two people for a friendly match.


	3. Chapter Two

**Inner Destruction: Chapter Two**

"Ready…set…go!"

Izanami watched Tenten and Lee fight while she tried to come up with a strategy for fighting Neji.

She glanced at Neji. He saw her and narrowed his eyes. She stared back at him with equally narrowed eyes until they both broke their gaze and looked away.

"Winner…Lee!" Gai shouted.

Tenten had run out of weapons and Lee had beaten her with a finishing kick.

"Yes!" Lee said excitedly. He gallantly helped Tenten up and said, "It was an exhilarating match! You fought well!"

"What a gracious winner!" Gai exclaimed. "And Tenten, you did well, too!"

"Thanks," Tenten said sourly. She collected her weapons and then sat against a tree.

"Now, it's time for Neji and Izanami's match!"

Neji and Izanami stood up and faced each other, each determined to win.

"Go!"

Neji activated his Byakugan. Izanami, sensing danger, quickly did a hand seal and disappeared in the breeze.

'Where'd she go?' Neji thought. His Byuukagan could see 360 degrees, and yet he couldn't locate her.

"Up here," a voice murmured.

Neji quickly looked up; a cool breeze blew through his hair, but no one was there.

"Stop playing tricks!" he shouted angrily. "Come out!"

"If you wish," Izanami's voice whispered in his ear.

Neji suddenly got thrown forward from the impact of a kick.

The breeze wafted over him, and Izanami appeared, looking down disdainfully.

"You're really not so good," she said quietly. "Genius of Konoha, my ass."

Neji clenched his fists and then brought his leg out under Izanami, tripping her.

She fell to the ground and lifted her head, her eyes blazing angrily.

"You wanna play rough, do you?" she sneered. "Fine, then. Have it your way."

And it was on. They attacked each other mercilessly, never holding back, using ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, anything.

"Stop, stop!" Gai shouted when things were getting out of hand.

He and Lee pulled Izanami and Neji apart. They had some difficulty, as both were seemingly trying to kill the other.

Finally, they managed to separate the two. Izanami was pinned to a tree with some of Tenten's shuriken and Neji was seated on a rock with Lee and Tenten as guards.

"Disgraceful!" Gai shouted. "Were you trying to kill each other?"

No response.

"I've never seen such acts of – of – of…_un-youthfulness_ in my entire life!" Gai continued ranting. "Now, you are all dismissed for today, BUT, Izanami and Neji, you are to both stay here _with each other_ for another hour! Dismissed!" He disappeared.

Tenten glanced at Izanami. "Good luck," she mouthed, and then she, too, left.

Lee shook his head in disappointment at his fellow team members' behavior, but he left them alone.

Neji silently fumed. This was all her fault! If she hadn't started it…

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He _had_ beaten her up pretty badly; there were several bruises and shallow cuts covering her arms and legs. A diagonal slash ran across her left cheek.

He, on the other hand, was mostly just battered. Izanami tended to use air-related jutsus. Who knew wind could scorch so?

Izanami was angry with Neji, but she was mainly angry with herself. She shouldn't have lost her temper.

'He's just so infuriating!' she thought. 'If he hadn't started it…'

The two sat in silence for a while, both resenting the other.

Finally, Neji spoke up. "If you hadn't tried to kill me –"

"I didn't try to kill you!" Izanami interrupted hotly.

"Then what did you call that fight?" Neji shot back. "A playful spar?"

Izanami glared at him. "You know nothing –"

"Right, because you know everything!" Neji shouted. "It's not always about you, you know! You need to get over yourself!"

"Me!" Izanami exploded. "What about you, huh? 'I'm so misunderstood! Pity me because I wasn't born part of the Main House!'"

Neji stood up and strode over to Izanami. He seized her by the collar and shoved her into the tree. "Watch it," he growled.

But Izanami refused to "watch it." " 'Our destiny cannot be changed!'" she continued. " 'I'm a caged bird!'"

"I told you to shut up!" Neji snapped.

Izanami's voice grew dangerously quiet. "But I'll never listen. Do you know why?"

"Do tell."

"Because. I – Hate – You."

Neji answered in an equally soft voice. "I hate you too."

Their eyes locked, Izanami's amethyst orbs staring into Neji's milky pupils.

Izanami broke away first. She did a quick hand seal, and disappeared into the wind.


	4. Chapter Three

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. And not much happens. So, yeah.

* * *

Inner DestructionChapter Three

Izanami tore through her drawers, opening and slamming them shut until she found what she was looking for.

A photo album.

She flipped through the glossy pages until she came to a picture from long ago.

A young, innocent Izanami stood in it, next to a young, innocent Neji.

They were both smiling happily, and Neji's arms were wrapped around her waist.

She felt tears smarting in her eyes. She angrily wiped them away.

This photograph brought back memories. Happy ones, joyful ones.

And painful ones.

Izanami tore the picture from the page and set it down on her desk. She went through the album until every single photo of her and Neji was lying in the fireplace.

She held up a lit match.

'What am I doing?' she suddenly thought. 'Destroying these would mean destroying all the old connections…destroying all the old memories…'

_I hate you too_.

Those words came back to her mind. Neji hated her.

And she hated him.

Without a second thought, she threw the match into the fireplace.

And watched the memories go up in flames.

**x.X.x**

_I – Hate – You._

She really did hate him.

Well, he hated her too, didn't he?

Neji reached over and picked up a framed photo on his desk. He studied it.

A cheerful Izanami smiled back at him. And there was himself, too, next to her.

How close they had been then!

He lightly traced Izanami's features with a finger. She still looked the same now, except more mature, more serious, prettier.

'Wait, did I think _prettier_?'

Neji mentally beat himself up. 'I hate her. She hates me. End of story.'

But it wasn't the end of the story.

It couldn't be.

There was no happily ever after.

'What am I thinking?'

Neji opened a drawer and placed the picture in it. He locked the drawer with a key.

There. Now the memories were locked up.

But they weren't.

They were still haunting him.


	5. Chapter Four

**Inner Destruction: Chapter Four**

"Good morning, team!" Gai said loudly when he appeared the next morning. "I hope you all had a good nights' sleep!" He gazed sternly at Izanami and Neji. "And I hope you two have learned how to get along better."

Neither one of them replied.

"Well, we have our first mission today! I felt we should start our new careers with a _bang!_, so I got us a more exciting one!"

"What is it?" Lee asked eagerly.

"We will be escorting the son of an emperor back home!" Gai said proudly.

"Where's the emperor's son?" asked Tenten.

"Right over here! Come on out now, you bashful youth!"

A boy stepped out from the shadows. He was around their age, maybe older. He didn't look bashful at all; more like arrogant.

Tenten nudged Izanami. "He's cute!" she whispered.

Izanami didn't dignify that with an answer.

"Why don't you introduce yourself, O Prince?" Gai suggested.

"I'm Takeshi," the prince said. "I hope you guys are actually strong enough to be real ninja."

Izanami narrowed her eyes at him; Neji stared coldly; Tenten pursed her lips; Lee looked appalled; and Gai pretended not to notice the remark.

"I take it that you aren't," Takeshi continued when no one disagreed.

"I suggest you bite your tongue before I cut it out." Izanami muttered venomously.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "At least now I know you can talk and aren't a bunch of uneducated country folk."

Tenten pointed a kunai at Takeshi's face. "Hey. I'd listen to Izanami if I were you. Or you _might_ just end up without a tongue and an ear, too."

"Girls!" Gai muttered. "No threatening the person we're supposed to be protecting!"

Lee gave Takeshi a disapproving look, but didn't appear angry. "Gai-sensei, let's start the mission already!"

"Patience, my dear boy, is one of the greatest virtues!" lectured Gai. "We'll have to make a stop at everyone's place so they can pack a few essentials for the trip!"

Takeshi sighed loudly, but didn't object.

They stopped at Tenten's home, and then Lee's, and then Neji's. Gai was already prepared.

Finally they came to Izanami's house.

"She lives here alone?" Tenten whispered when they entered.

"Her family disappeared a long time ago," Neji answered sharply.

"Oh," said Tenten.

Izanami disappeared for a few minutes. She reappeared carrying a bag.

"Don't touch that," she said to Takeshi.

Takeshi dropped his hand from the porcelain vase he had been fondling. "All right, all right." He said crossly. "Only looking," he added under his breath.

**x.X.x**

"So, Takeshi, where are you from?" Lee asked after they had been walking for an hour.

Takeshi shot a glance at Gai. "I thought you knew. You _are_ escorting me back, after all."

"Sheesh, just answer the question." Tenten defended Lee.

"My father is the emperor of an empire in the Cloud Country." Takeshi answered. "I, as the firstborn son, get to become ruler when he dies."

"And do you want that?" Izanami spoke for the first time since they had exited Konoha.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Takeshi said offensively.

"Just what I asked, do you want to become emperor?" Izanami said calmly.

"Of course I do! It's every boys' dream!" declared Takeshi. "Not that I would do anything to harm my father, of course." He added hastily.

Izanami didn't say anything.

Suddenly, she felt sharp metal at her throat.

"Hand over the prince and she doesn't get hurt." A voice growled.


	6. Chapter Five

Okay, like I said before, I'm sorry, but I can't make them longer before they're already pre-written and posted on Quizilla like this, and I'm just too lazy to combine the chapters and/or make them longer.

So, sorry, but you're just gonna have to read the short chappies until I write them longer.

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Inner Destruction: Chapter Five

Tenten gasped. "Izanami!" she cried.

"Gai-sensei, what do we do?" Lee said, distressed.

"Everyone calm down!" Gai called out.

The person holding Izanami was a large man, almost too bulky to be a ninja, but he had to be; how else could he have snuck up on them so silently?

She moved her hands slightly.

The knife was pressed harder into her throat. She felt it slice open a portion of her skin.

"Don't move," he murmured into her ear. "If you want to live, that is."

"Takeshi, you never said anyone was after you," Neji said coldly.

"I – I didn't know!" Takeshi stuttered. "It must be an assassin sent to kill me, because I'm the firstborn son!"

The assassin was listening to the conversation with interest. "Your younger brother sent me," he said quickly. "He wants you dead so he can seize the throne."

"What about the emperor?" Neji asked quietly.

The man smirked. "That can easily be taken care of." He shook Izanami. "Now give me the prince or she dies!"

"I beg to differ," a cold voice said from the side.

The assassin spun around. Standing in front of him was Izanami, a small smirk planted on her face.

"But – But –" He looked down at the Izanami still in his arms.

There was a sudden "poof", and when the smoke cleared up, Izanami was gone; instead, a log rested comfortably there.

"A Replacement Jutsu," Izanami said, stepping closer to the man. "If you were a good ninja, you would've seen that. But apparently, you have no more skill level than a genin."

Gai shot forward with a kick. Soon, the assassin was tied up and against a tree.

"Tell us everything," Gai ordered. "From who sent you to where they hired you to when you're expected to be back with Takeshi."

The assassin shot a nervous glance at the prince, who frowned slightly.

He refused to say a word.

Tenten raised a double-sided kunai to the man's throat.

"I suggest you start talking." Izanami said softly.

The man opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Except for blood.

Tenten jumped away. "What the –"

There was a dagger sticking out from his chest.

Izanami quickly scanned the area. No one.

Neji glanced backwards at Takeshi.

He seemed to be smiling.

"Well!" Gai broke the silence. "That was certainly very strange, I'll admit. But, right now, we should focus on other things."

He turned to Takeshi. "Who is after you?"

"Didn't you hear the assassin?" Takeshi said condescendingly. "Obviously, my little brother wanted to get me out of the picture so he could become emperor."

"Hm…" Gai pondered this for a while before he said, "You're probably right!"

"Of course I am," Takeshi said arrogantly.

"Now," Gai turned to the assassin's body. "What should we do with this?"

"Search it," Izanami suggested. "We might find out more about his employer."

"No!" Takeshi disagreed. "He – He might be infected with something! Besides, you're supposed to be escorting me back home! I need to be back there soon!"

"Well, he might contain valuable information…" Gai said thoughtfully.

"Let's just leave him to rot!" Takeshi argued. "The sooner I get home, the safer I'll be!"

"Are we going to listen to him?" Neji said quietly to Gai. "He knows nothing of the way of the shinobi."

"Yes, but…"

Takeshi turned to leave. "If you don't go, I'm getting home by myself!"

"No!" Lee darted forward. "You might die!"

"Not if I have you five protecting me," Takeshi said craftily.

Gai cast a last glance at the body, but followed the prince. "Come on, team! He's our mission!"

Izanami looked back at the assassin's corpse. His eyes were wide open in fear.

They were staring at the spot where Takeshi had stood.


	7. Chapter Six

Another short chapter. And kind of "bleh", too. Well, in my opinion, at least.

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Inner Destruction: Chapter Six

"Izanami, you're bleeding."

Izanami put a hand to her neck. There was blood dripping.

"I know," she said dully. "The cut opened back up a while ago."

"Then why didn't you stop to bandage it up?" Tenten demanded.

Izanami shrugged. "No time."

Gai turned around to face his students and the prince. "Well, there's time now!" he said cheerfully. "It's nighttime, so I guess it's time to stop and hit the sack!"

"I'll go find some firewood!" Lee said excitedly. He dashed off into the woods.

"Good idea!" Gai called after him. "Tenten, you go get some wood, too! Neji, help take care of Izanami! And Takeshi, you just stay put!"

Izanami glared at Neji. "Don't bother," she said resentfully. "I can do it by myself."

"Who said I wanted to help you?" he replied icily.

Izanami turned away and grabbed a roll of linen from Gai's rucksack. She ripped a piece off and pressed it to her cut.

"You need to clean it first," came Neji's voice.

"I thought you didn't want to help," she said mockingly.

"I don't." he replied. "But I also don't want you slowing us down."

"Who said I'll slow anyone down?" Izanami muttered.

"The cut will become infected, and you'll end up in so much pain that we'll have to stop and get medicine."

Izanami smiled tightly. "Thanks for caring."

"Here," Neji gently pushed Izanami's hand away and dabbed at the cut with a wet cloth.

"Ouch!" Izanami pushed him away.

"If it stings, that just means that it's working." Neji said calmly.

Izanami muttered something incoherent.

Neji smirked and started cleaning her cut again.

"…Thanks," Izanami whispered.

Neji looked up in surprise. Izanami's eyes were cast downwards and she seemed slightly ashamed to actually be thanking him.

He smiled, genuinely smiled. It was probably his first real smile in years.

"You're welcome," he whispered in her ear.

She shivered. And she had no idea why.

Without thinking, Neji reached up and stroked her cheek. He fingered the slash that ran across it.

"I did that to you?" he murmured.

Izanami stared at him wide-eyed. "What are you doing?" she whispered.

Neji leaned forward; his breath ran down her neck, making her skin tingle.

'What are you doing?' his mind screamed. 'You hate her! Get away!'

Izanami found herself leaning closer, too. Their faces were almost touching.

"Hey, are you two lovebirds done yet?"

Izanami spun around and glared at Takeshi. "If you say that again, you'll wake up and find yourself alone and confused in a different country."

Takeshi cast a semi-frightened look her way and then sulkily walked away.

But it was too late. The moment was gone.


	8. Chapter Seven

So then, this one is _really_ short. Sorry. I mean, I'm _really_ sorry. Really.

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**Inner Destruction: Chapter Seven**

_Neji caressed her skin softly. "Izanami…" he breathed._

_She couldn't breathe. All she could do was stare at the boy she was supposed to hate._

_He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers, kissing her gingerly as if afraid of breaking her._

_She found herself leaning into the kiss. She didn't hate him; she couldn't._

_Neji broke away and gazed at her. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," he murmured._

"_I've waited a while for you to," Izanami replied quietly._

_Neji kissed her again, and then moved his lips down to her jaw line, then her neck, making his way further down to her collarbone._

_A sigh escaped from her lips, followed by a low moan._

_Neji smirked and kissed harder, biting the skin until – _

Izanami gasped and shot up. She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked around.

The dark woods, four other huddled masses covered with blankets.

It had been a dream.

What a dream.

'Although _why_ I would dream something like that…'

She sighed and lay back down. No use thinking about something that would never happen.

Neji gazed at her sleeping form. Things were changing; new emotions sprang up, old ones melted away.

This was wrong. This new attraction was wrong. The way he had looked at her was wrong. The way he felt about her was wrong.

Izanami stirred in her sleep. Her lips formed words he couldn't hear.

Neji sat staring at her, thinking about nothing, thinking about everything.

The troubled boy sighed and lay back down.

When had things gotten so complicated?

* * *

See? Told ya it was short. Again, sorry!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Inner Destruction: Chapter Eight**

The four Leaf ninja and the prince trudged through the woods. Their steps were rhythmic; they walked on without saying a single word.

Izanami glanced at Takeshi. He was such a bother! If _he_ wasn't there, they could've reached the Cloud country in a day or two!

And he complained so much! If it wasn't the weather, it was the food. If it wasn't that, it was about how weak his protectors were.

She gritted her teeth as she watched him frown and kick a rock. If they didn't get there soon…

Tenten looked at Takeshi, too. She had the same thoughts as Izanami. 'If he complains one more time, I'll –'

Lee whistled a cheerful tune. It might annoy his teammates, but at least it kept his spirits up! -good guy pose-

Gai seemed happy enough, but inside, there was worry. 'That assassin…Why was he sent? The prince's story seems rather odd…'

"When are we gonna get there?" Takeshi whined childishly.

'One more word…' Tenten thought.

"We'll arrive soon enough!" replied Gai.

Takeshi didn't seem to notice the hostility radiating from his companions. "We're never gonna make it!" he moaned.

Tenten snapped. "Shut up!" she hissed. "I know our 'mission' is guarding you, but if you don't watch out, buddy, you're gonna end up being handed over to those assassins on a silver platter!"

"Tenten!" exclaimed Gai, shocked. "You shouldn't say things like that! Now apologize to Takeshi!"

Tenten glowered at both her teacher and the prince. "Sorry," she muttered resentfully.

"Not good enough," Takeshi said tauntingly.

"Don't push it." Tenten growled.

There was silence, and they continued on their journey.

**x.X.x**

"This is a sacred site of the kami," Gai said in a hushed tone of voice, looking at the abandoned temple. "Be very careful so as not to upset the spirits."

"Spirits, huh." Takeshi said scornfully. "They don't scare me."

"They should," Izanami said quietly from behind him. "They control everything – the elements, the forces of nature. They are our dead ancestors, and you should show respect."

"Right, like I'm gonna be respectful to a bunch of dead people."

"That would be wise," Izanami whispered in his ear, inching forward with every word. "Or they might – just – seek – _revenge_."

Takeshi shivered.

'Doesn't look half so cocky now,' Izanami thought with satisfaction.

"Now, we'll stay here for the night," Gai said as they made their way through the grounds. "Don't disturb the peace, or –"

"– you'll face the spirits' wrath." Izanami finished for him.

Takeshi yawned loudly. "Whatever. I'm going on a walk to get some _alone time_."

"Team, make yourself useful!" Gai instructed.

Izanami looked sharply at Takeshi from the corner of her eye. He glanced around him shiftily and then slunk down a small pathway.

Izanami followed him without hesitation, keeping to the top of the shrines and crumbling temple roof.

"Hey, Izanami, where ya goin'?" Tenten called after her.

When no response came back, she followed her comrade through the ruins.

Izanami crouched down behind a decrepit statue hoisted at the edge of the temple roof. Tenten stepped behind her.

Takeshi was pacing back and forth on the ground, apparently deep in thought. There was a small frown on his face.

Izanami held a shuriken in her hand. She drew her arm back and –

"Wait!" Tenten whispered loudly. "You can't kill our mission!"

"I'm not," Izanami murmured. "Just testing a new theory."

She threw the shuriken at Takeshi. It whizzed through the air, straight towards his neck.

He stuck out his hand and caught it deftly.

Tenten gasped. How could he have caught it?

Izanami's head was buzzing. Her suspicions were confirmed.

This was no ordinary prince.


	10. Chapter Nine

Okay, for the last time, I CANNOT MAKE THE CHAPTERS LONGER. Well, actually, I can, but I'm not gonna to, because it takes too much time to combine them. So, please, just deal with it for now.

Thank you! Now enjoy Chapter Nine!

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Inner Destruction: Chapter Nine

They were greeted with loud cheers and shouts: "The prince is here! He's home!"

Takeshi raised his hand regally and waved slightly. No doubt his arrogance had come from always being treated this way.

The team walked awkwardly through the crowded streets, following Takeshi and the guards.

So many people were staring, watching them. Evaluating them.

They reached the royal palace in no time. The paved pathway leading to the front gate was lined with exquisite flowers and trees made of pure gold.

'Apparently, this emperor has no problem showing off his wealth,' Izanami thought.

They reached the gate, a pair of huge iron doors with wrought-gold dragons stamped onto the surface.

The gates opened, and the six guards bowed to as they walked through.

"People here are very friendly," Takeshi said breezily. "But most of all, they're respectful; of power, of rank. All the important things."

Izanami looked at him with even more distaste than before. Respectful…power…rank…important…how shallow.

But maybe this was all an act. After all…

"Your Highness!" A man hurried towards them. He was tall and thin, and with his fancy robes, seemed to be a rather important person.

He bowed low before Takeshi and then acknowledged the Leaf ninja with a nod. "Your father, Emperor Daichi, requests your presence in his greeting chamber."

"Very well." Takeshi dismissed the man with a wave of his hand and then motioned for the shinobi to follow him.

He led them to another great pair of doors, this time made of silver.

He threw open the doors without knocking and strode in. Gai and his students hesitantly followed.

The emperor sat in a golden throne. Many nobles stood at the edge of the carpet leading up to him.

He was rather plump, with sallow skin and thinning black hair. His robes were royal purple – silk – with threads of gold forming the embroidery.

Takeshi walked up the steps and sat down in the throne next to his father's. He looked right at home.

Gai hastily bowed. Izanami, Neji, Tenten, and Lee all followed suit.

"Thank you for escorting my son back home," the emperor said. His voice was low and hoarse. "I trust you allowed no harm to come to him?"

Tenten glanced at Izanami. If Takeshi hadn't caught that shuriken, he would be dead right now.

"There will be a feast tonight," the emperor continued, "in honor of my son's coming home. I expect all of you to be there, dressed formally." He clapped his hands and a servant appeared. "Take them to a room where they can get ready. Make them feel welcome."

The servant bowed and then led the five of them out of the room.

He took them to a large room and then pointed at two connecting doors. "You will find whatever you need in this room, and you can change or have some privacy in those other rooms." He left.

Lee opened a wardrobe and peered inside. "Look! Gai-sensei, they provided an awful lot for us!"

Tenten opened another wardrobe. Her jaw dropped when she saw its contents. "Whoa, check it out, Izanami! Look at all these kimonos!"

Izanami glanced at the selection and then looked away. Kimonos didn't interest her.

"Now!" Gai clapped his hands together. "We have to do this the proper way, and have escorts!"

"Escorts?" Tenten repeated.

Gai nodded.

"As in, actual people, actual dates?"

"But of course!" Gai exclaimed. "You didn't think we would attend a feast without escorts, did you?"

Tenten sighed, as did Izanami and Neji.

"Now, the best thing to do would be to divide you four up!" Gai paused and gazed thoughtfully at every one of them. "Hm…how about…Tenten and Lee, and Izanami and Neji?"

'Typical,' Izanami thought ruefully. She took a quick glance at Neji; he stood to the side, indifferent.

"But Gai-sensei, who will you go with?" Lee asked.

"Don't worry, young one, I'll scour the palace until I find a beautiful young woman for my own date!" Gai said, smiling brightly. "Now," He glanced at a clock that hung on the wall. "We still have quite a while before the feast, so I will allow you four to do whatever you wish until then!" He gave another brilliant grin, and then left the room to "scour the palace."

Izanami snuck another glance at Neji. Why, oh why, did _he_ have to be her escort?

'Well,' she thought grudgingly, watching Tenten and Lee argue, 'I suppose it's better than going with Lee.'

What sort of game was fate playing?

Neji shook his head. Pairing him up with Izanami…it wasn't mere coincidence.

They hadn't said a word to each other since that evening, the night of closeness.

He had no idea how he felt, and frankly, didn't want to know. Things were complicated enough as it was.

His pale violet eyes were void of emotion, as they always were. It wouldn't do to have them betraying how he felt, now would it?

He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She stood quietly at the side, solitary as always.

It was at times like this that her silence was a blessing.

Or was it a curse?


	11. Chapter Ten

**Okay, so, at first I was insulted when I read this anonymous review for my story:**

_- Fan fiction is not a medium for you to vent out your frustration in not having a boyfriend in real life. The bishonen in your favorite anime aren't real and it's not healthy to 'create' a new character and imagine yourself in her place while she traipses in whacky, far-out, overly emotional, angst-ridden adventures with the bishonen of your choice._

- When you upload a story into Fanfiction dot net, TRUE FANS like me who love the series would rather see our favorite bishonen die a horrible and painful death than end up with your Mary Sue.

- Nothing ever good comes out with writing a Sue story. Nothing. It doesn't matter if you THINK she's well-written. It doesn't matter if you spent seven thousand nights thinking up a suitable background. It doesn't matter if she's from an elite but now-extinct ninja clan in the farthest region of Sue Heaven. There will never EVER be anything good to come out of a Mary Sue story.

- The only people who will love and praise you for this story are fellow Sue-stooges like you who jerk off to posters of their favorite bishonen.

- Fanpoodle fantasies should remain in the Suethor's mind. Once you post your Sue story online, expect to incur the wrath of true fans like me. Yes, we will review your story because you have polluted the fandom with your filth. If you can't take criticism for your Sue story, stick to writing about canon characters. THAT IS WHAT TRUE FAN FICTION IS ABOUT.

**But then, after I reread it, I found it kinda funny. Because, yes, people have a right to call my story "Mary Sue" (in my opinion, it isn't, but that's just my opinion), and I won't try to stop them or insult them back.**

**So, to you anonymous reviewers out there who hate my story, feel free to submit reviews that you think will make me angry--I won't get angry; I'll laugh at you and the review. **

**But please don't insult the other people who review and like my story, because you have no right to. That just makes you seem like a stupid, attention-seeking bitch and/or bastard. And it's not really "true fan-like" to insult other people just because they like something that you despise. **

**Insult me all you want. I will genuinely laugh at you and your "true fan" ways.**

**

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**

**Inner Destruction: Chapter Ten**

Neji gaped at her. Actually _gaped_, with his eyes wide and mouth open.

Standing in front of him was Tenten, and beside her, Izanami.

Tenten wore a red and white kimono, scroll pouch strapped to her obi. She looked prettier than normal, but it was Izanami that caught his eye.

The kimono she wore was dark blue with light flowers and butterflies scattered here and there. The obi was all autumn colors (e.g. red, orange, brown, etc.) with leaves and flowers for embroidery.

Her hair was down, as usual, and the expression on her face was indifferent like always, but even so, she seemed even more radiant than before, more beautiful, more exquisite, more –

He stopped himself. His face grew stony once more and he nodded slightly to Izanami as a greeting.

He felt his heart beat faster as she walked and stood next to him. This was going to be a long night.

**x.X.x**

"You look great!" Tenten exclaimed when she and Izanami were done "perfecting" themselves.

Izanami smiled wanly. "Thanks. You too."

"Let's go and _stun_ the guys, shall we?" Tenten giggled rather uncharacteristically and left Izanami in the girls' dressing room.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to go the feast, especially with Neji as an escort; things were rather awkward between them.

She tugged at the shuriken holster tied around her leg, under the kimono. There was also a kunai holster hidden under the silk obi. She was completely armed.

With another sigh, she, too, left the room and went into the main chamber where the boys were waiting.

She felt herself flush slightly when she spotted Neji.

Lee, well, Lee was dressed in his regular spandex suit, except now it was a shinier green, more metallic.

Tenten's eye started twitching when she saw her date. She strode over and smacked him across the head. "Lee, why aren't you wearing a yukata or something like Neji! Do you have any _idea_ what you look like!"

Izanami took a deep breath and silently went to stand next to Neji. She felt him looking at her from the corner of his eye.

This was going to be a long night.

Somehow, Gai had managed to find a young, pretty woman for his date (not meant as an insult, just so you know). He came dressed in the same attire as Lee, but with an added touch – a dark green bowtie.

The door opened and a bored-looking Takeshi entered, followed by another boy, also their age.

"Are you ready yet?" Takeshi asked in his whiny, patronizing voice.

"What do you think? Here we are, standing fully dressed and prepared." Izanami muttered.

The other boy grinned slightly at her comment.

"Oh, yeah. Before I forget." Takeshi turned to him. "This is my brother, Kenji. Kenji, these are those ninja people from the Leaf Village."

Kenji bowed his head slightly. "Pleased to meet you." He, unlike Takeshi, sounded quite polite and kind.

Tenten whispered in Izanami's ear, "He's cute!"

"The last time you said that, it was about Takeshi," Izanami said dryly. "And in the end, we both felt the urge to kill him."

"Yeah, but this one _sounds_ nice, too! Takeshi sounded – and still sounds like – a jerk."

"If you ladies are done gossiping," Gai boomed. "Then perhaps we could carry on?"

He grabbed the arm of his date, looking pointedly at Lee, Tenten, Neji, and Izanami.

"Oh!" Lee immediately grabbed Tenten and pulled her towards him. He then slid this arm through hers and stood proudly.

Neither Neji nor Izanami moved.

"_Ahem!_" Gai shot Neji a reproachful look.

If he had expected a reaction, he was sadly disappointed.

"Guys!" hissed Tenten.

Izanami stared at her coldly and Neji looked away.

Kenji stepped forward. "Allow me." He gently pushed the two together and slid Neji's arm around Izanami's slim waist.

Neji and Izanami stayed in the position, but both refused to look at each other.

Tenten sighed. 'God…they're acting like immature nine-year-olds…' (random nine-year-old: "Hey!")

Gai: 'I don't know what's going on, but they had better behave at the banquet…'

Takeshi: -sigh- 'How immature. I hope they won't embarrass me with their crude ways or rude behavior tonight.'

Kenji: 'Odd…they seem to detest each other, yet I can sense an attraction between the two.'

Lee: 'My comrades should shape up! We don't want to shame Gai-sensei in front of an emperor!'

Neji: No comment.

Izanami: No comment.

Naruto: 'I want ramen…'

Wait, Naruto isn't here. My bad…

-ahem- Moving on.

That reminds me, I want ramen…

Yeah. Back to the story.

"So, Kenji," Tenten began conversationally, "you're Takeshi's younger brother, right?"

Kenji bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, I am."

"You don't look much younger," Izanami mused.

"We're twins - fraternal – and I was born second." Kenji explained. "I think it was…two and a half minutes?"

"Wow, that close to being next in line?" Tenten said thoughtfully.

"It must be hard for you to watch Takeshi be firstborn when you could've been." Izanami said quietly.

Kenji shrugged. "Not really. I never wanted to rule, anyway."

"Kenji's more of the _scholar_ type." Takeshi jumped in scornfully. "He prefers _reading_ to preparing for the throne."

"Well, that's just as good as becoming an _emperor_!" Tenten replied fiercely.

"No it's not!"

"Children, children," Gai interrupted dramatically. "Must we fight over such trivial matters like this?"

"Yes" was the unspoken answer.

"No, sensei!" Lee exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, wait up!"

The group halted and turned around to see a girl running to catch up with them.

She had dark purple hair and wore a very…er…_revealing_ kimono.

"This," Takeshi said with a hint of dislike, "is Aimi. Our sister."

"Your sister?" Tenten repeated.

"Our sister."

Aimi pouted. "You guys were supposed to come get me!"

"Oops…we…forgot…" Kenji said lamely.

"Well, it better not happen again!" the girl snapped. Her tone instantly changed when she spotted Neji. "Oh! Who's this?"

"Hyuuga Neji," he said shortly.

Aimi smiled coyly. "I'm Aimi! It's nice to meet you!"

"Likewise."

Tenten gave Izanami a look that plainly said, "You have got to be kidding me."

She returned it with her own: "Better believe it. And we're stuck with her."

They continued on their way to the banquet hall, Aimi shamelessly flirting with Neji, Takeshi and Kenji sighing exasperatedly, Tenten eyeing the princess like she was some sort of disgusting bug, and Izanami wanting the night to be over and done with. Of course, Lee and Gai were both blissfully oblivious to everything, and Gai's date was humming quietly.

Eventually (and to this everyone gave a sigh of relief), they reached the hall.

Just before they entered, Takeshi turned around and gave some last-minute "advice."

"Okay, don't do anything to embarrass the royal family, especially me. So that means no acting weird" – he glared at Lee and Gai – "and no threatening people." He looked pointedly at Tenten and Izanami when he said the last part. "Oh, and just don't do anything stupid." He added as an afterthought.

"It'd be much more likely for you to do something stupid," Izanami said under her breath.

"What?"

She stared at him blankly and didn't say anything.

Takeshi heaved a sigh. "Alright then, after me."

With an imperial smile on his face, he strode into the hall. Kenji and Aimi followed closely.

The Leaf nin glanced uneasily at each other and then walked in.

At once, everything came to a hush. The courtiers all fell silent and fixed their gaze on the team.

Neji subconsciously drew Izanami closer to him. In turn, she unwittingly tightened her grip on his arm.

Finally, the voice of the emperor boomed, "Greetings, shinobi of Hidden Leaf! Please, sit down and enjoy this magnificent feast!"

After this little shpeel (I love that word), the courtiers sent one last curious look their way and then went back to eating and talking.

There were empty seats scattered along either side of the table. The nin took their places and slowly joined in the conversation.

Izanami found that she was directly across from Neji and silently groaned.

'Is there no escape from him tonight?'

He suddenly lifted his head and stared straight at her.

She shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze. Evidently there was not.

**x.X.x**

Neji didn't like this, didn't like this at all. He had a bad feeling about tonight.

And most of that bad feeling was focused on Izanami. Something was going to happen to her.

He absentmindedly watched her from across the table while he ate. She looked a bit flushed, but maybe that was just the light from the low-hanging chandeliers.

Neji leaned back in his chair and surveyed the other guests. The feeling wouldn't go away; it was growing stronger.

Tonight would end in disaster.

**x.X.x**

A gong suddenly rang and the emperor stood up. The noise gradually diminished and he smiled rather artificially.

"Tonight is in honor of my firstborn, Takeshi," Emperor Daichi began. "He will ascend the throne when I pass away, and I am sure he will be an excellent ruler."

He beamed proudly at Takeshi and then continued. "My son is a fine young man – respectable, kind, generous, noble. I could praise him endlessly, but alas, the night is coming to an end. To Takeshi!"

"To Takeshi!" the room chorused.

Smiling, the emperor raised his goblet to his lips and drank.

Suddenly, he choked and started spluttering. His face turned red – purple – blue.

And then, a ghastly white.

He gave one more great cough, and then slumped down in his seat, silent as death.

Instantly, the hall was filled with pandemonium. Courtiers screaming, guards yelling.

"The emperor was killed!"

"Poisoned!"

"By whom?"

"It's a conspiracy!"

Then, suddenly: "It was her! She poisoned the emperor!"

Izanami craned her head over the hysterical guests, trying to see who they were talking about.

Takeshi stood up from his seat and dramatically pointed his finger. "This wench killed my father!"

His finger was pointing to her.

* * *

**Okay, I won't be updating for a while. Why? Because this is the last chapter I have written. And I have writers' block. So, see you in a week or two! **

**Or three. Or four.**


	12. Chapter Eleven

Guess what? I finished this chapter earlier than expected! Why? Because a "friend" on Quizilla -cough cough- _forced_ me to finish it; she actually _threatened me_.

Grr...

Phoenix does not take well to threats.

But, I finished it anway.

And now, I'd like to thank those people who reviewed!

**NoCareChakara**: Yes, gasp indeed! Thank you for reviewing!

**Hibiki-chan**: I love killing off my characters! In fact... -evil grin- ...Forget I said anything. That would ruin the surprise!

**"me"(anonymous)**: -tears in eyes- Oh my god! That's so nice of you! -cries- Reading reviews like this is what makes me grit my teeth and force myself to update (well, that and threatening messages...but that's a different matter...)! Thank you!

**duckichan87**: Ah, but who said he killed the emperor? It could be Kenji, or Aimi, or even Naruto!

Naruto: Wha?

Phoenix: ...-shoves him in closet-

**Rynx- Too- Genki**: Another compassionate, understanding review. This made me so happy!

Yes, Miss Anonymous really does seem quite sad, doesn't she? True fan? Puh-leez.

And now, read on!

**

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**

**Inner Destruction: Chapter Eleven**

Time seemed to stand still. All Izanami felt was the piercing cold, forcing its way into her skin and through her bones.

She lay huddled in the corner of the dungeon, hugging her knees for warmth. The silk kimono was not meant for the chill of a prison cell, especially now that it was torn and ripped.

Strangely enough, she didn't cry. She felt an odd numbness that was foreign to her – it was like her usual ambiance, but amplified so that it became a great, deadening force pressed upon her.

Izanami rested her head on the stone wall and closed her eyes. It was all over. She was here, imprisoned, and was bound to be executed for a crime she hadn't committed.

**Flashback**

_Two guards immediately seized her, gripping her arms so tightly they seemed to throb with pain._

_Her teammates immediately rose with cries of protest. _

"_Stop! What are you doing? It wasn't her!"_

"_Izanami didn't do anything!"_

"_Gai-sensei, do something!"_

"_Release that youthful, innocent girl!"_

_And Neji stared at her with a fierce look in his eyes. It wasn't the usual intense dislike or arrogance, either._

"_She was with us the whole night! She couldn't have –"_

"_Why would Izanami want to kill the emperor?"_

"_You're making a terrible mistake!"_

**End Flashback**

Kenji had tried to stop the furious courtiers and his brother. Even Aimi had vouched for Izanami.

But it was no use. It was their word against Takeshi's. And the kingdom believed Takeshi.

She hated this dungeon, hated this palace, hated everything about this place.

And now that she was here, alone, she couldn't stop thinking. Thoughts and memories that had remained in the back of her head were now pushing their way to the front.

**Flashback**

"_Hey, Neji!" _

_The little boy turned around. A smile spread across his face when he saw his best friend, Fushigi Izanami._

_((Reader: -le gasp- No!))_

_((Phoenix: -le gasp- Shut up and read the rest of the story!))_

_((Reader: TT Why do you have to be so mean?))_

_((Phoenix: It all started thirteen and a quarter years ago, when I was born…))_

_((Reader: So you're naturally mean and evil and cruel and violent and aggressive?))_

_((Phoenix: And much, much more.))_

_((Phoenix: Isn't it annoying that you have to read this when you really want to get back to the story?))_

_((Phoenix: Which is why I'll keep on going on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and – ))_

_((Reader: Stop it!))_

_((Phoenix: – and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and – oh, am I boring you?))_

_((Reader: No! After all, I just LOVE reading useless junk like your ramblings!))  
_

_((Phoenix: All right then. deep breath And on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on – ))_

_((Reader: Never mind! Never mind! I AM bored! Stop it!))_

_((Phoenix: .))_

_cough Back to the story._

_The little boy turned around. A smile spread across his face when he saw his best friend, Fushigi Izanami._

_The two had known each other ever since they were both three years old and had run into each other in the park. Since then, their friendship had blossomed and they became almost inseparable._

"_Where've you been?" Neji demanded. "I've been waiting for more than fifteen minutes!"_

"_Sorry," Izanami replied, pouting a little. "Mommy made me help clean up the mess I made in the courtyard after the new wind jutsu I tried blew everything around."_

"_Well, now that you're here, come on!" Neji grabbed Izanami's hand and pulled her along behind him, talking nonstop all the while._

_They reached the top of a hill with a rocky cliff edge where a man was waiting: Hyuuga Hizaishi, Neji's father._

_There was a camera next to him, and he watched two birds fly across the sky until his son and Izanami came into view. Then he turned around and smiled at them._

"_Ready?"_

"_Neji, what are we doing?" asked Izanami, confused. _

"_We're having our pictures taken so we can always remember each other!" Neji replied earnestly._

"_I won't ever forget you!"_

"_But this is just something extra! Come on, it'll be fun!"_

"_I don't know…" Izanami said reluctantly. "I don't really like having my picture taken…"_

"_Please!" Neji tugged on her sleeve and smiled brightly. "I like it! And since we're best friends, we should do everything together!"_

_Sensing his enthusiasm, Izanami smiled timidly and followed Neji in front of the camera._

"_One, two, three!"_

_The light bulb flashed and that moment was captured – both children radiating with happiness, Neji's arm wrapped protectively around Izanami's waist._

_Several shots later, Hizaishi left, promising to get the film developed soon and to make copies for each of them. _

_The two lay down in the tall grass, basking in the sunlight and affection for each other._

"_That was kind of fun…" came Izanami's voice after a period of comfortable silence._

"_Mmm-hmm…" Neji said drowsily._

"_We'll stay like this forever, won't we?"_

"_Like what?"_

"_Like this. Best friends."_

_Neji propped himself up on his elbow and looked inquiringly down at Izanami's face. _

"_Will we?" she persisted._

_A small smile graced his features and he leaned down to place an innocent kiss on her cheek. _

"_Of course we will."_

"_Forever?"_

"_Forever."_

**x.X.x**

_His pale lavender eyes stung with tears as he watched Izanami with her father, hand-in-hand, walking and laughing._

_She didn't know how much he envied her._

_Suddenly, her head turned and she spotted Neji in the shadows._

_Her face lit up with happiness and her childish, yet delicate features grew relaxed and somewhat dreamy._

_He was really a good shinobi, even for one so young, not to mention he was the smartest person she knew._

_She was proud to be his best friend._

_Izanami tugged on her father's sleeve, said a quick "see you later" and joined Neji in his solitary spot._

_She greeted him as usual, with a cheerful hello and smile._

_He didn't say anything back, and she knew something was wrong._

"_Neji?"_

_The boy half turned away; Izanami caught a glimpse of the tears shimmering in his eyes._

"_Is something wrong?"_

_When no answer came, she tried again, timidly, "Um, how's everything?"_

_Nothing._

"_How…how's Hinata been?"_

_She thought she saw a flicker in his eyes, and took this as a sign of encouragement._

"_What about Hizaishi-san?"_

_Wrong thing to say._

_Neji's hand balled into fists and his lip quivered. His shoulders shook slightly and angry tears fell from his eyes._

_Izanami leaned forward and gently touched his shoulder. "Neji?" _

"_Stop it," he said in a low voice._

"_W…What?"_

"_Leave me alone!" he suddenly yelled, and pushed Izanami away. She stumbled and fell against a tree, hitting her head._

_She rose from the ground, trembling and with hurt in her eyes, but persisted. "Do you want to come over? Otou-san (Daddy/Father/whatever) said he'll teach us a new wind jutsu, if you want."_

_The tension built up inside him, and he cracked._

"_**DO YOU KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE**?"_

"_W-What?"_

_A few tears escaped from Neji's eyes and rolled down his flushed cheeks, sparkling like diamonds. "**My otou-san is dead; he's gone forever! They sent him to die, just because he's a Branch House member and Hiashi-san**" – he spat out his uncle's name with a look of deepest loathing on his still-childish face – "**is part of the stupid Main House**!"_

"_I-I'm sorry –"_

"_You don't have to be sorry! Because you still have a father, don't you? And I – I d-don't…" Neji suddenly dropped to the ground; he was breathing heavily and a lone teardrop glistened in his eye._

"_I'm sorry!" Izanami cried out, a few tears of her own threatening to fall. "I didn't – I mean – I know –"_

"_You don't know," Neji said quietly. He stood up and with his back to her, said, "I want you to leave me alone."_

_Izanami's face hardened. "And what if I don't want to leave you alone?" she said harshly._

"_Don't you get it?" Neji's voice was still quiet, and unnaturally calm. "I don't want to see you anymore, Izanami. **I want you to leave me alone**."_

_There was silence; Izanami hadn't moved._

"_**I don't want to be friends anymore**."_

_The force of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. She stood there, stunned, for a moment, before bursting out furiously, "Fine! I don't want to be friends either!"_

"_Fine!"_

_There was silence, and then both burst out, "**FINE**!"_

_Izanami's tears flowed freely now. She sent Neji a fierce look, and then shouted, "I HATE YOU, HYUUGA NEJI!" before stomping away angrily._

"_WELL, I HATE YOU TOO, FUSHIGI IZANAMI!"_

_((Phoenix: Ah, childish hate. It's so amusing, isn't it?))_

_((Reader: LET ME FINISH, DAMMIT!))_

_((Phoenix: evil look Fine! I HATE YOU, READER!))_

_((Reader: WELL, I HATE YOU TOO, PHOENIX!))_

_((Phoenix: Sorry, I had to put that there. It makes this thing even more amusing! To me, anyways.))_

_((Read on…))_

_And there was without a doubt, that hate for the other filled the two children to the brim._

**x.X.x**

_Her energy was running out quickly. She wouldn't be able to keep it up._

_Izanami thought of her family: her mom, dad, and older brother._

_She couldn't do this any longer. Her chakra wouldn't allow her to._

_There was nothing to live for, then, was there? No point in holding on?_

_She let her let head fall into the pool of blood – her own blood – on the floor and closed her eyes._

**End Flashback**

She had been stupid then, oh so very stupid.

She must've been out of her mind – who on earth would ever do something like that?

And the answer was: "I would."

The situations were basically the same. Except there was no one to save her this time. There was no way out of this.

She had heard the guards, as they were escorting her down to the dungeons, whisper that her execution was to take place tomorrow at sunset. When the sky was mottled blood red, her death would come.

She didn't really care. She had given up a long time ago. Nothing mattered.

Suddenly, the cell door burst open and dim light flooded the dungeon.

Izanami squinted, and her mouth dropped in disbelief as she made out Tenten's grinning face.

"Hey, Izanami. We've come to bust you out."

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You know, I hated the flashbacks. They were all so...ugh. Little Izanami really did seem like a Mary Sue. T.T

Know how to get me to write the next chappie? Review!


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